Africa’s photography industry is poised for growth

It is not only smiling for the camera that makes photos important to us but also—photography is a means to earn a living. The industry has drawn over $77.66 billion market value in 2015 and is expected to reach $110.79 billion by 2021, according to Zion Market Research. With less than 200 years since its inception, photography is the real example of a technological breakthrough, from using crude processes of using chemicals to simpler processes, taking less than one minute, where instant high-quality photos can be taken via our handheld gadgets— our smartphones. The photography industry has evolved remarkably over the years, sweeping away some jobs along other blunt lines of the industry, such as photo processing workers, film lab technicians and photography equipment repairers, who are now replaced by more robust and efficient digital technology processes. Photography as the activity or job of taking photographs or filming is practised in many forms. With the unfettered access to data and research and development, it is not only about taking photos or filming via professional camera equipment but also via mobile phones. Modern mobile phones are now chasing behind “Nikon”, and “Canon” camera designs, spicing up competition in the industry, and